Qualcomm was previously rumored to be exploring a dual-sourcing option where it would enlist the help of TSMC’s and Samsung’s foundries to mass produce future chipsets, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Unfortunately, it appears that the San Diego has backtracked on its earlier intentions and may only stick with TSMC for another generation, this time utilizing the manufacturer’s N3E process.
Samsung’s poor yields might be one area of concern for Qualcomm or the superiority of TSMC’s N3E process might have made that decision
Using different manufacturers can bring immense benefits, including significant cost savings for Qualcomm. No doubt, TSMC’s N3E process will be costly to the smartphone chipset maker, but according to a tweet from Revegnus, it will have little choice in the matter. The initial plan based on a previous tweet from the same person, hinted that not only will there be two versions of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, but they both will be mass produced on different foundries.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy would have taken advantage of Samsung’s 3GAP process, which is also known as 3nm GAA+, while the regular version found in devices not made by the Korean giant’s facilities would be mass produced on TSMC’s N3E technology. Due to undisclosed reasons, Qualcomm may exclusively give TSMC orders in 2024, which can raise the wafer price substantially, with Qualcomm’s smartphone partners being forced to pay the balance. Revegnus has not shared the reason for this rumored change, but it may have something to do with its Samsung’s next-generation process.
https://twitter.com/Tech_Reve/status/1663426271358119943?s=20
Earlier, during its last quarterly earnings, Samsung gave an update regarding its 3nm GAA process, stating that yields were stable, but the manufacturer may have run into another roadblock. Given that Qualcomm requires a large initial batch of Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 shipments, yields of next-generation wafers need to be beyond satisfactory in order to maintain a future partnership. This was likely one of the reasons why Qualcomm jumped ship to TSMC for its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it looks like history may repeat itself.
Furthermore, with Cortex-X4 said to be tapped on TSMC’s N3E process, it is possible that the Taiwanese firm provided Qualcomm with samples to entice it towards forming an exclusive deal, but we have no way to confirm this. Assuming Samsung sorts out its foundry issues, we might see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 mass produced on two different technologies, but as the latest rumor stands, that is not the case.
News Source: Revegnus
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